Alternating-current regulator.



,775. Patented July 3 D. 0. HULL. ALTERNATING CURRENT REGULATOR.

(Application filed Mor. 1, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

.' WITNESSES:

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Patented Jqly 3, i900.

'No. 652,775. Y

D. 0. HULL.

ALTERNATING CURRENT REGULATOR.

(Application filed'Mar. 1I 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sjeets-Sheet 2.

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WITNESSES:

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D. 0. HULL.

ALTERNATING CURRENT REGULATOR.

(Application filed Mar. 1, 1899.)

4 SheetsSheet 4.

(No Model.)

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WITNESSES: m-d fiWwJZ if 5 mm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL OSCAR HULL, OF PORT CLINTON, OHIO.

ALTERNATlNG-CURRENT REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 652,775, dated July 3,1900.

Application filed March 1, 1899. Serial No. 707,270- (No model.)

alternating-current constant-potential mains;

and its object is to automatically maintain any desired current (up tothe capacity of the system) in a circuit which is fed fromalterhating-current constant or approximately constant potential mains,whatever be the number or resistance of the translating devices whichmay be connected in or cut out of said circuit.

My invention is more particularly designed as an improvement upon theapparatus shown and described in United States Letters Patent granted tome November 2, 1897, No. 593,050.

These improvements relate to the construction of the brush and itsactuating mechanism, the autoconverter, and the construction andconnections of the induction-motor described in said patent, and also tothe simplification of my previous device by the omission of variousparts. These results are secured in the manner and by the meanshereinafter described, and shown and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, made part hereof, in which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of myregulator with part of the main gear-wheel and ring, hereinafterreferred to, broken away to show the contact-pieces, hereinafterreferred to; Fig. 2, a central longitudinal sectional view of a portionof the same; Fig. 3, a central longitudinal sectional elevation of thebrush, here inafter referred to; Fig. at, a top plan view of the same;Fig. 5, a perspective view of the pair of alternating-currentmotor-magnets, hereinafter referred to, together with their housing andsupport, one of the magnets being partly broken away to more fully showthe form of said housing; and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of a circuitand apparatus embodying my invention.

Like parts are represented throughout the views by like letters andfigures of reference.

In the drawings, A A represent the twoalternatingconstant-potentialmains. Brepresents an autoconverter whichis connected across said mains. The windings of the antoconverter areconnected at suitable intervals with contact-plates Z). The circuitwhich it is desired to control has one terminal permanently connectedwith one main A, as at a, while the other terminal is connected with themovable brush D, which may be successively moved into contact with theseveral plates 1).

The translating devices 0 maybe of any desired character and may beadapted to beindependently connected in the circuit in 'series orcutout, as desired. Itis evident that by the movement of the brush Dback and forth over the contact-pieces b any desired potentialdifference between the terminals of the circuit to be regulated (up tothe capacity of the system) can be obtained.

When the translating devices 0 (which for illustration in this instanceare arc-lights) are located at a distance from the controlling mechanismand are liable to be severally turned on or off at any time, it isdesirable to provide means which will act automatically to regulate thepotential difference of the terminals and keep the current constant inthe circuit notwithstanding the variations in resistance due to turningany number of lights on or off. The automatic movement of the brush D,as shown in the drawings, is effected by an induction-motor, and thedirection in which the armature of said motor moves is governed by theswitch G, which switch is actuated by the core of the solenoid-magnet I,connected in the circuit to be controlled.

A particularly-effective construction, com bination, and arrangement ofparts for anto matically moving the brush D back and forth upon thesmall contact-pieces b and for giv ing a quick makeand break to thebrush and contact-pieces is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4E. Thecontact-pieces l) are arranged in a circle or the are of a circle. Thebrush D is carried on the wheel N, mounted in the center of said are.The wheel is a gear-wheel, which is connected by a train of gears h h7L2 with the motor H.

To prevent undue sparking, it is necessary that the change of positionof the brush from one contact-piece to another be made very quickly ascompared with the slow movement of the wheel upon which it is supported.To this end the wheel N carries a radial metallic bar d, which at itsinner end is rigidly connected with the wheel N and revolves therewith.At the outer extremity of the arm (Z is a radially-projecting short baror finger (Z, pivotally connected, as at (P, to the arm d. d is anotherradial arm loosely and revolubly mounted, as at (1", upon the same axialline as the wheel N and normally parallel with the arm d. The arm (1carries the radially-projecting brush D, which rests upon andsuccessively encounters the contactpieces (1. At the extremity of thearm (Z and rigidly secured at a right angle thereto is a pin (1, whichprojects into andengages a slot 6 in the outer end of the short pivotedbar or finger (Z. A double spring s, secured to the arm (Z, as at s,clasps the two sides of the bar or finger (Z and tends to hold bars (Zand d normally in radial alinement, though permitting their lateralswing in both directions upon the pivots d and (1".

A ring K is fixed outside of the row of contact-pieces h and is providedwith an inwardly-projecting overhanging flange 7.1, from the inner sideof which'project or depend pins 7t, which are arranged one above each ofthe spaces midway between the contactpieces 12. The outer end of theshort pivoted bar d projects so far that when said bar is in a radialposition it enters between two adjacent pins 71; 7;, the brush D beingnow in contact with that one of the contact-pieces I) which lies betweensaid pins. hen the wheel N, with its bar cl, is moved in eitherdirection, the obstructing-pin 7.; causes bar (1 to swing upon its pivotd until the end of the bar (1, being drawn inward by such movement, maypass said pin 7.1. It will be seen that during this movement of the armd and bar (1 the brush-carrying arm (Z has remained practicallystationary, being thus held by the pin (7), projecting into the slot ofthe arm (1; but when the wheel N and the arm (Z have traveled far enoughto permit the outer extremity of the bar (1 to escape from itscontacting pin 7:, the springs quickly throws the arm d forward intoradial alinement with the arm d and against the next succeeding stop orpin is, carrying with it the arm (1,

, which as it swings on its pivot carries the brush into contact withthe next succeeding contact-piece 72. Thus it will be seen that nomatter how slowly the wheel N may move in one direction or the other thebrush is thrown from one contact to the next with the force and rapidityimparted by the spring 3.

The windings of the autoconverter, with which the brush D becomesconnected as it is moved to and fro in the are formed by the row ofcontact-points b, are sufficient in num her to meet the ordinary demandsof the cir cuit to be controlled. These windings are represented in thediagram Fig. .6 as extending from a to a. l find it advantageous,however, to continue the windings of the autocon ve-rter beyond thefixed terminal, as from a to a, in order to provide a step-up conversionof potential beyond the impressed electromotive force of theconstant-potential mains. These step-up windings of the autoconverterare provided at proper intervals with contact-points b, which arebrought into and out of circuit in the same manner as are the windingsof the remainder of the converter. It is advantageous to provide asuitable amount of resistance in the wires connecting the windings ofthe autoconverter with the contact-pieces, as at b Fig. (3.

In a normally-open branch circuit 2 2*, connected with theautoconverter, as shown, is a switch G, controlled by solenoid I in themain circuit. In the circuit 2 2" is an alternating-currcnt motor H,connected by train of gears 7L 7t 77, with the wheel N, which carriesand controls brush D. This motor consists of the usual revoluble copperor aluminium disk 0, mounted between the poles of a pair of magnetspp,the poles of one of said magnets being disposed at one side of the disk,the other inagnets poles being disposed at the opposite side of thedisk. (See Figs. 1, 5, and (3.) The magnets and disk are compactly andsimply mounted and securely retained in their proper relative positionsby the use of a housing-piece g, composed of brass or other suitablenon-magnetic metal. The housing-piece may be described as two flatparallel bars q q, the pair being connected at each end by a leg (1",each leg hav ing a foot (1 by which the housing may be secured to asuitable base. Each of the parallel bars (7 near each end has an openingtherethrough to receive a part of the ends of the inwardly-turnedopposing laminated pole-pieces or cores of the magnets 13 p. The disk 0is j ournaled between and supported by the two flat parallel bars qmidway of their length, as at (f. It will be seen that the two magnetsare rigidly secured side by side and that the disk 0 is mounted betweenthem and between their pole-pieces by the use of the single piece orhousing g, herein described, which housing also serves asshort-circuited rings around the pole extremities.

hen by a change in the load G the strength of the solenoid l isincreased or diminished, the switch G is thrown into contact with one orthe other of contact-pieces g, thus closing the branch circuit 2 2. Fromeach of the contact-pieces 9 leads a separate wire to one of the magnets19, which magnets are connected to the line 2. If by the action of thesolenoid and the switch one magnet is thrown into circuit 2 2, the disk0 will be set into corresponding motion. if the other magnet be throwninto circuit by the opposite action of the solenoid and switch, the diskwill be caused to rotate in the opposite direction, in

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either case imparting motion to the brush, by which the proper potentialbetween the terminals is maintained.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to securebyLetters Patent, 1s-

1. In an alternating-current regulator, a series of contact-pieces, pinsor stops alternating with said contact-pieces, an arm connected with thedriving mechanism of the regulator, a bar or finger pivoted to the outerextremity of said arm and projecting between said pins or stops, aspring to hold the arm and finger normally in alinement, a movable brusharranged to successively contact with said contact-pieces, and a slidingconnection between said brush and said bar or finger.

2. In a regulator for alternating currents, a pair of mains, anautoconverter connected across said mains, a series of contact-piecesconnected with the windings of said converter, a movable brush in thecircuit to be controlled adapted to contact with either of saidcontact-pieces, a solenoid in said circuit, a normally-open branchcircuit 2 2, connected with said autoconverter, a reversibleinduction-motor in said branch circuit, driving connect-ionsintermediate the motor and the brush, and in said branch circuit aswitch controlled by said solenoid.

3. In a regulator for alternating currents, an autoconverter in thecircuit to be controlled, a movable brush in said circuit operativelyconnected with the converter, a branch circuit, a two-point switch insaid branch circuit controlled by the main circuit, an induction-motorin said branch circuit adapted to actuate the brush, and two magnetst'or said motor in said branch circuit at opposite sides of its disk,one of said magnets being connected with one of the contacts of saidswitch, the other of said magnets being connected with the other contactof said switch.

at. In an alternating-current regulator, in combination with anautoconverter and a movable brush in the circuit to be controlled, aninduction-motor operatively connected with said brush, said motorcomprising a housing having a narrow flat opening therethrough, a diskjournaled in said housing centrally of said opening, and a pair ofelectromagnets having the opposing extremities of their poles secured insaid housing on opposite sides of said opening and embracing oppositemargins'of said disk, said housing being adapted to serve asshort-circuited rings around the extremities of the magnets,substantially as shown and described.

DANIEL OSCAR HULL.

In presence of GEO. A. TRUE, CHAS. F. JOHNSON.

